Jonathan Armstrong, chronic pulmonary hypertension

After Jonathan was born in 2003, the nurses noticed him grunting as he struggled to breathe. Concerned, the nurses contacted Arkansas Children's Hospital, who advised transporting him right away.

“As a new mother, I was terrified,” says Amy, Jonathan’s mom. “I knew he was going downhill fast. I later found out they had to stop the ambulance three times from Benton to Little Rock to stabilize him.”

Once at ACH, Jonathan was diagnosed with group B strep with sepsis, as well as chronic pulmonary hypertension.

Essentially, Jonathan’s heart and lungs were working too hard, trying to beat the infection in his body.

When he was just a few days old, Jonathan was placed on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), a heart-lung bypass machine. The machine did the work of his heart and lungs, so they could heal.

After four days on ECMO, Jonathan spent several weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), as he gained weight and strength.

“The best thing about our experience at ACH was the kindness of the staff and the connections we made with other families in the NICU,” says Amy. “I appreciated the nurses for putting up with the one million questions I asked every time I saw them.”

Jonathan, now 9, has no lingering effects from his time in the hospital. He loves to build and create things and enjoys playing with technology.

Your support helps create possibility for patients like Jonathan. Please make a gift today to help provide care, love and hope to children. Until no child needs Arkansas Children’s Hospital, we need you.